Brothers and Sons
by Dungeonwriter
Summary: Family bonds both break your heart and build you up. For Ozai, Iroh and Zuko, the hate and the healing are often the same thing. Chapter Two: Iroh remembers LuTen
1. Family

_**Brothers and Sons**_

_For Superlazy, an Iroh/Ozai drabble, based on the Talmudic expression, the remedy is always prepared before the affliction. Very dark in part one, sappy in part two. Sorry, couldn't find a proper song for this one, but I liked the title anyway.  
_

I walked down the stone steps to the pit. It was the most horrible dungeon cell, used by my ancestors to house those whose fate was to be forgotten. Yet, I could not forget. The deaf-mute guards assigned to guard the prisoner opened the cell door at my command. The room inside was dark and damp, as per instructions. With a clink of chains, the dark figure on the cot looked up at me, eyes blazing. "Hello brother."

"Come here to gloat?" the voice rasped, grown hoarse from disuse. No other visitors were allowed in the monkish cell. He had grown old. His beard had turned gray and his skin ghostly white. Only the light of fireflies illuminated his tired face. No other light or window had been permitted in the cell.

"Not at all. You are to be congratulated. You are a grandfather of a healthy baby boy. I just thought you would like to know," I say pleasantly. There is no other place to sit. Only the cot and a chamber pot, happily empty decorate the cell. "Nothing to say?" I goad.

"What do you want? You know I don't care what happens. You played the good one, but you just enjoy tormenting me. Kick a broken man when he is on the floor, honorable one. I know you all too well," the prisoner snapped back, a bit of that old majesty returning to his voice.

"I don't enjoy tormenting you. Frankly, brother, I don't understand you," I admit, leaning against the wall.

"Ahh…the wise one doesn't know everything. What's there to understand? He means nothing to me. He will always be a disgrace in my eyes. Too weak to even have me killed."

"Now, you are the one who doesn't understand. I am the one who begged for your life," I say with a smile. "I didn't think you deserved it."

"Ahh…misplaced mercy from a soft-hearted fool. I should have guessed," my brother says. He is weak from the lack of sunlight.

"It's no mercy, brother. Death is only painful for a moment to the victim. It is painful forever for those left behind. You don't deserve to have your pain lifted from you. I have had to live with mine for ten years."

"I had nothing to do with your son's death. You know that. Surely, you aren't imprisoning me for that," my prisoner asks, eyebrow raised. This conversation has revitalized him.

"No. But you had a son. A wonderful, dear, intelligent, precious son who loved you. He was alive and well and you broke him. You tossed him away like a piece of burned rice cake. You abandoned him to the mercies of a cold and unfriendly world and you tried to destroy him. I would have given my last breath to hold my son again for a moment and you…scarred him. I can't understand how anyone could have as wonderful son as Zuko and not appreciate the treasure he is," I yelled, my anger getting away with me.

"You should be grateful to me. I tossed him away so you could have him. Admit it; he's what prevented you from killing yourself to go join your son. Sure, exile was rough but you had a ball, playing daddy to that weakling. So why are you complaining?" he asked me.

"I had to rebuild your son from the broken pieces. I had to watch him nearly die every day, knowing it was my fault he was so tortured. I lived on the run from him, watching him writhe in inner pain, too wounded to accept my aid."

"And he will always be my son. Pretend all you want. But he was mine to break. He can't ever be yours. Your son is dead. Pretending to replace him with mine shows how deluded you are."

"You don't deserve to have him as your son. I dreamed of the day that I would be a grandfather. You are a fool, Ozai for not seeing all this," I roared.

"How sentimental. You really are pathetic, you know. I'm glad Azula and Lu Ten didn't live to see what the monarchy has come to," my younger brother smirked. "You are weak. Your son died strong. My son lives weak. Who is the lucky one?" my brother smirked.

Long after I fled from the cell, I could see him smirking, pouring salt on an old wound.

-------

When I returned to the private chambers of the Fire Lord, I took in the image of the young monarch. My nephew had changed a great deal from the scarred boy who had traveled around the world in a wild goose chase. He had grown taller, wiser and more of a man than three generations of men before him. Now, watching him sit by his sleeping wife, holding his newborn baby, I suddenly felt the same twinge of pain. I would never see Lu-Ten married, holding his newborn son.

The young Fire Lord looked up at me and gave me his rare smile. "Never thought anything could knock her out," he said softly, nodding in the direction of his usually feisty Earth kingdom bride. "Sit down."

Seeing him like this…it brought back too many memories. "This is your moment, Zuko. Savor it."

"But don't you want to meet Lu-Ten? We agreed on it, we couldn't think of a better namesake," my nephew said with another shy smile.

"You…did not have to," I whispered, as Zuko placed the small bundle into my arms. My eyes misted as I held the future Fire Lord in my arms. He looked so much like my son had, a small tuft of hair on his little head and a red little face. His eyes were closed in sleep. Tears fell unto his perfect little cheeks.

"I know…he can't replace…" Zuko mumbled, being his usual awkward self. Even a throne and a wife, even a child had not smoothed his tongue. And I loved him for that honesty. "But I thought…that such a great teacher…"

"You were a fine student. I couldn't have asked for a better one," I said. I did not need to replace my son. Zuko had become my student and my ward. He had filled a different place in my heart. Ozai was wrong.

"Lu-Ten was…someone I hope my son will grow up to emulate," Zuko said, adjusting the golden blanket.

"This Lu-Ten…will be loved as much as my Lu-Ten was. I could not be happier," I said genuinely, finally feeling comfort.

"Thank you," Zuko whispered, looking concerned as the baby opened his big golden eyes and began to mewl. "I better get a nurse."

"No, wait. Let me try something. It always works, you know. _Leaves from the vine, falling so slow. Like fragile tiny shells, drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy…come marching home_," I began to sing, rocking the baby back and forth.

"Brave soldier boy comes marching home," Zuko sang along softly. Lu-Ten must have taught him. For some reason, I was very grateful, and not only because the baby went back to sleep.

"Yes. I think he did," I said, hanging the baby back to my foster son, no matter what pedigree wanted to believe. I put my arm around him and for a moment, Zuko let his pride down and allowed me to hug him.

"The soldier boy finally came home."

_Tell me what you guys think? I have another Zuko/Older Lu Ten in my other comp but the internet is down there so it may take a while. _


	2. Home

_Thanks for all your reviews, here's a little more. _

Chapter Two: Come Marching Home

_For Jac _

"Father, please don't go," my son begged me. To him, his father was not the heir to the throne or the greatest general the world had ever known. To him, I had no duty but to sit under our tree and read him a story, feeling his small body cuddled against me. And I wished it were true.

"I have to go, my son. Your grandfather, the Fire Lord has put me in charge of a great battle to bring light and knowledge to the world," I whispered, relishing his tiny weight. He was so small and so dear to me.

"I want to go with you, if you have to leave," Lu-Ten begged, looking up at me with those big amber eyes of his, eyes that had gotten me to spend a good deal of money on treats he really did not need. "I want to be a great soldier like you."

"My little soldier boy," I smiled. "Someday, you will go into battle with me. But not today. Now, no tears. They give me allergies and make me tear up too," I told him, feeling my "allergies" start to act up.

"But you will come back soon, right? You promise you'll come back for my birthday?" Lu-Ten asked, as he cuddled closer to me.

I smiled. "I promise you, I will always be there on your birthday. No matter what. Now…I have to leave." I wished I could stay. Why did Father have to constantly send me off to war? Ozai was allowed to stay home with his infant son Zuko!

"Before you go, can you sing me our song? Please?" Lu-Ten begged.

I smiled. I had written it for my son on the day he was born. Every night when I was home, I would sing it to him. Through his toddler tantrums, I had sung it to him. Even after I had been forced to discipline him, we always ended the day on this song. When he had trouble with his training, he would hum it to give him strength. "Of course. But…I can't remember it. Can you start it for me?" I teased.

"Don't be silly. Of course you know it. Leaves from the vine, falling so slow," he began in his child-like trill.

"Like fragile little tiny shells, drifting in the foam." I continued, blending our voices together.

"Little soldier boy…come marching home, brave soldier boy comes marching home," we sang together, as the wind whipped through our hair and the sun set over the horizon. I learned down and kissed his forehead.

"And I always will. Come your birthday, we will be together," I whispered.

**_Today is my son's birthday. My great-nephew and I spent the day together. It was a wonderful day-_from the personal diary of General Iroh, uncle to the Fire Lord**


End file.
